Travel with Rick Steves

A bestselling author of a book on the Northwest Passage describes how the Inuit of Canada and Greenland are responding to modern challenges posed by changes to the Arctic environment. Then we delve with a filmmaker into the pre-Columbian world of the Incas, and ponder what untold stories the Andes Mountains may still hold. Plus, a well-traveled journalist joins us to consider the impact of recent...

Hear from two Roman tour guides about what to expect on a first-time trip to Italy, and how to make it the adventure of a lifetime. Then get a taste of life in France’s rural southwest as author David McAninch explains how spending the better part of a year in Gascony taught his American family to slow down and savor their time together. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - incl...

Get recommendations from a language buff for learning a new tongue overseas, then listen in as an American expat explains why he's called Mexico City home for the past 25 years — and why the Mexican capital is becoming a magnet for many others from around the Americas. Plus, hear from the author of a new guidebook about fun ways to experience the creative spirit of Los Angeles. For more info...

Tour guides from Scotland recommend their favorite Caledonian experiences, from elegant Edinburgh to clan castles in the Highlands, and even budget getaways for backpackers. Then a pair of world travelers explain why they’ve settled down in Greece’s Nafplio, the picturesque Peloponnesian town that’s a getaway for big-city Athenians, a jumping-off point for history-rich sights nea...

Hear about the variety of spectacular Alpine views any visitor can enjoy in and above Switzerland's Lauterbrunnen Valley, as described by a tour guide who's mapped the region's hiking trails. Then listen in as author Terry Tempest Williams explains how she purchased oil leases near her home in the Utah desert — not to drill, but in hopes of combatting the recent rollback of protections...

Learn about some of America's most interesting lighthouses to visit — or even slumber in. Then hear from an experienced pilot about why the view from a 747 never gets old. And listen in as we consider the longbow's influence on the balance of power in medieval Europe. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and related details - visi...

An expat living in Saigon describes the bustle of Ho Chi Minh City’s famous Bui Vien Street, and explains why this backpacker district has recently become a weekend destination for local families. Then tour guides from Spain share updates and travel tips for the land of tapas and toreadors. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and...

Get acquainted with some of the most popular French and Italian saints, and learn why they remain important to their countrymen. Plus, actor David Suchet shares what he discovered while making a documentary about the life and times of St. Peter, and the first-century world he inhabited in Galilee. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives an...

Author Tim Parks, a long-time resident of Verona, shares his observations about Italy’s railway system, and what it can tell us about the Italian mindset. And two tour guides from the Amalfi Coast take listener calls while exploring the highlights of their scenic southern corner of Italy, from Positano to the isle of Capri. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode...

Three tour guides from Ireland share their recommendations for the sights and experiences travelers shouldn’t miss on a first-time visit to their home turf — from fun things to see and do in busy Dublin, to tips for exploring the windswept byways of the Kerry coast. And musician and actor Alan Doyle helps us to understand his native Newfoundland by discussing how his perspective contin...

Rick gets a perspective on current issues the European Union is facing, from a geo-political friend in Brussels. Three women travel guides to Europe describe what it requires for women to feel comfortable traveling solo. Plus, author Teresa Bruce describes retracing a road trip from Oregon to Bolivia down the Pan American Highway. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode...

Hear from Londoners about what's afoot in their city right now, and the don't-miss experiences for anyone looking to make the most of a visit to the British capital this year. Then author Carl Hoffman tells what he discovered about two modern-day adventurers who befriended an indigenous tribe in Borneo: One of them got rich selling tribal art — and the other disappeared. For more information...

We look at the top sites where you can experience firsthand the groundbreaking contributions of Spain's greatest artists. Then tour guides from Wales and Bosnia share the facets of their nationalities that mean most to them — such as the Welsh fortitude for enduring the blustery climate that produces such beautiful landscapes, and Bosnians' knack for using humor to defuse the thornier aspect...

Tune into the traditional music of Spain and find out where to catch the best flamenco shows in Madrid. Then listen in as astronaut Chris Hadfield describes daily life aboard the International Space Station, and lets us in on how you get used to doing everything — and we mean everything — in zero gravity. And hear what a cross-country road trip showed a man and his dog about America's...

Historian Laurence Bergreen takes us to 18 th -century Venice, at a time when Casanova called it home. Then journalist Craig Pittman updates us on what Florida is like for vacationers in 2018, and lets us in on local scuttlebutt. And geographer Joshua Jelly-Schapiro reminds us that the Caribbean’s cultural influence extends far beyond hosting cruise ships and beach vacations. For more i...

Find out what six cities food maven Fred Plotkin considers to be the world's best places to experience edible ecstasy. Then get an update on today's "New Koreans" from journalist Michael Breen, whose recent book describes the rapid changes afoot in South Korea since its emergence as a worldwide economic and cultural force. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descrip...

We check in with author and long-distance walker Francis Tapon after his five-year journey to all 54 countries in Africa. And we hear how a widespread love of Shakespeare played a key role in shaping Africa's newest nation, South Sudan. Plus, tour guides from France offer tips for exploring the countryside of Normandy, including the monuments to WWII battles fought there. For more information on T...

We consider the importance of poet W.B. Yeats to the Irish soul, and discuss real-life English destinations that let you experience the world of Agatha Christie's mysteries. And just in time for Burns Night, Scottish troubadour Jim Malcolm explains what Robert Burns' poetry means to the Scots, and sings some favorite Burns tunes. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode...

Singer Buffy Sainte-Marie discusses her new album of activist "Medicine Songs" and what they have to say about our place in today's world. Then author Kim Dinan tells the story of how she quit her job, sold her stuff, and set off on a three-year round-the-world adventure — inspired, in part, by a certain yellow envelope. And listeners converse with Rick about the special concerns involved in...

An Italian scholar of architecture compares the scope of today's mega-cities with the more human scale of Venice. And we'll hear what a pair of documentary producers noticed when they interviewed residents of Christiania, a communal society tucked into the middle of downtown Copenhagen. Plus, we get mom-tested advice for making everyone happy on an overseas trip with teenagers. For more informatio...

Pour a festive glass as we learn about the strong, often homemade liquors that lend zest to celebrations across central and eastern Europe. Then hear where to find some of the world's best beer, from the author of "50 Places to Drink Beer Before You Die." And join the party as friends from Edinburgh offer a wee taste of the Scottish capital's year-end Hogmanay festivities. Plus, author and former...

Learn about holiday traditions observed in France, Norway, Greece, London, the Spanish Basque Country, and small-town Italy. From festively decorated Greek boats to dishes of fresh oysters and fermented trout, and Santas who live not on the North Pole but on a farm or in the woods, Christmas is a little different across the pond. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode...

Hear about what Europeans are looking forward to at this time of year, from Saint Nicholas Day through Boxing Day, in Germany, England, Belgium, Hungary, Portugal, and the Czech Republic — perhaps it's some of grandma's special potato salad to go with the fish stew and figgy pudding! For more information on Travel with Rick Steves - including episode descriptions, program archives and relate...

We hear of the true awesomeness of experiencing a total solar eclipse, from the one that swept across the American West in 1878 to the one that drew crowds to the totality's path in the US in August 2017. And we'll also learn what it's like to take part in a winter solstice ritual from inside Ireland's ancient tomb at Newgrange. Plus, author and conservationist Terry Tempest Williams describes bre...

Hear about some of the world's most remarkable — and creepiest — traditions. Then discover the timeless character of the Hebrides — an island group off Scotland's northwest coast where you're more likely to overhear Gaelic than English. And enjoy a sampling of Portugal's beloved fado music: sad songs that make everyone feel better. For more information on Travel with Rick Steves...